Milan, Italy by Night | International Space Station

Milan, Italy by Night | International Space Station

As the world watches the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station continue capturing stunning images of cities across the globe, including Milan itself. The International Space Station is a symbol of what nations can achieve together, built and operated through decades of partnership among NASA and other space agencies around the world.

From orbit, borders fade and cooperation takes center stage—a fitting reminder as athletes from every corner of the planet come together in Italy for a celebration of unity, skill, and global spirit.

The metropolitan area of Milan (or Milano) illuminates the Italian region of Lombardy, in a pattern evocative of a patchwork quilt, in this astronaut photograph. The city of Milan proper forms a dense cluster of lights at image center left; brilliant white lights indicate the historic center of the city where the Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) is located. Large dark regions to the south of Milan contain mostly agricultural fields. To the north, numerous smaller cities are interspersed with agricultural fields giving way to forested areas as one approaches the Italian Alps (not shown). Low patchy clouds diffuse the city lights, producing isolated regions in the image that appear blurred.

The Milan urban area is located within the Po Valley, a large plain bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the south and the Italian Alps to the north. Milan has the largest metropolitan area in Italy, and the fifth largest in the European Union. It is one of Europe's major transportation, industrial, and commerce hubs, and is also a global center of fashion and culture.

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Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Image Details: Nikon D3S Electronic Still Camera, Focal length: 200mm, Spacecraft Altitude: 187 nautical miles (346km)

Image Date: Feb. 22, 2011

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